How To Be a Smart Photographer

You need more than just a portfolio site these days to succeed as a photographer.

It’s not just about burn and dodge.

Are you a photographer that is interested in getting more business?

Have you perfected your portfolio website, but the emails and calls are not coming in?

If you want to remain competitive it’s critical that you not only have your great portfolio website, but you have a blog established as well.

Your potential clients probably LOVE your work. They probably think you’ve taken the best photographs of kids or wedding receptions that they’ve ever looked at.

There’s just one problem.

The same potential client has been reading the blog of your competitor and has fallen in love with their personality.

They have also been reading the gushing comments left by other clients which further boosts their confidence in hiring that photographer.

This photographer, although their imagery isn’t as perfectly cropped, focused, burned or dodged, or desaturated as yours, sounds more competent than you because of the insightful blog posts that they periodically update their site with.

Are you alarmed yet?

Guess what…

It’s more about the relationship you build and less about the perfect dodge or burn on a photo.

What’s your experience with having a blog as a photographer? Is it helping you build your business and strengthen relationships? Do you need a blog and don’t know where to begin. Contact me if you would like more info.

Stay tuned for more posts on this subject as I’ll teach you how to carefully craft a blog that will make you a cinch for the next client hoping to build a relationship with you.

Please comment and be sure to subscribe to receive future posts.

Photo credit: rain_foursix

Why Photographers Should Avoid All Flash Websites

All Flash sites can blind your customers

Want to know a great way to blind your customers and keep them from EVER viewing your amazing photography?

Create an all Flash website!

Don’t get me wrong… I’m a HUGE fan of Flash. I used to develop all Flash sites for my clients. I agree that Flash definitely has its place on the web.

I want to arm you with 5 reasons why you should presenting your best work using an all Flash format.

1) Mobile compatibility

It’s hard for many old-school photographers to grasp this thought, but it’s true: Your prospective clients are using their cell phones to view your work. Many cell phones do not come pre-equipped with Flash players and are next to impossible to get a Flash player installed.

Guess what.

Your prospective client just hit back on their cell phone browser and went to the next available photographer.

2) Attention span

Enough said? Good. Move on.

3) Directional URL’s

Email from Prospective Client:  “Hi, I would like to get more information on your studio portrait services.”

Reply from Hopeful Photographer:   “Sure. Go to AllFlashPhotosite.com and roll over About, then roll over Services when that appears, then click on Portraits when that appears, but make sure you wait for it to appear.”

Let’s see how a photographer without an all Flash site would handle it.

Email from Email from Prospective Client:  “Hi, I would like to get more information on your studio portrait services.”

Reply from Smart Photographer without all flash site: “Hi, no problem. Just click this link. http://SweetNotAllFlashSite.com/services/portraits

See the difference there?

4) Accessibility

Again, not all people have Flash players installed on their computers and it’s irresponsible to say, “If they don’t have Flash, then the shouldn’t be on the web.”

Additionally, some people use screen readers to access web information. I feel a barrage of rude comments coming for this one, but seriously…

5) Search Engine Unoptimization

Do you like when people can easily find you on the web by searching for photographers in your area? If not, get an all flash website.

I am discouraging photographers from building all Flash websites for the above reasons.

So, what’s the alternative?

I encourage photographers to use a mix of XHTML and Flash or Flash not at all. Obviously, XHTML and accessibility go hand-in-hand and many more people are using their mobile phones to peruse the web and make purchasing decisions.

In the next week I will be rolling out a design for a remarkable photographer that uses XHTML and Flash together.

What are your thoughts on all Flash websites? Do you have one? Do you run into the troubles that I have mentioned above?

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photo credit: jgs4309976